Little Fish Read online

  "I'll give him your number, okay? But I gotta go now. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

  My mom sighed. "Alright, sweetie. I'll talk to you then. Love you, Winnie."

  "Love you too. Bye." I hung up the phone and set it down on top of my mail pile. It was Wednesday, my date with Alex the following day, and I was getting giddier and giddier with every thought about it. I couldn't help but wonder where he would be taking me. I felt like I was in a movie, like Pretty Woman without the prostitution and Julia Roberts's ridiculous laugh. For all I knew, Alex could be the guy to sweep me off my feet, and I wasn't one to not take a chance like that.

  I heard footsteps down the hall accompanied by humming. It was Anna, walking to her own door. She hummed almost constantly. I poked my head out the door to see her carrying a brown paper bag and fumble with her keys. She noticed me, turning towards me with a smile. "Hey Winnie. How's it going today?"

  Her blue eyes were merry, as if they were smiling at me. Anna was always in a good mood, whether she was going to a party, a casting call, or knocking at my door at 8 pm with a tub of ice cream she needed help finishing when she bombed a big audition. That's how I knew she and Calder would hit it off: They were way too similar. "It's alright. Tomorrow's the big day."

  She beamed, her brunette ponytail brushing against her shoulders as she got up on her tiptoes with glee. "Oh my God, it is! Make sure you come over afterwards and tell me everything, mmkay?" I felt a blush creep up on my cheeks as I smiled back at her.

  "Okay, for sure. As long as Calder isn't totally up my ass about everything." I complied, and Anna reached into her grocery bag and fished out a rather large bottle of tequila.

  "Don't worry. He will be thoroughly distracted."

  Alex was grinning at me from booth ten for most of the afternoon, only asking for coffee once as I ran around like a mad woman serving the lunch rush. I had honestly wished I'd brought another outfit after seeing what he was wearing: A nice suit, like always, dark blue with a pale blue tie. His face was a little scruffy, making it seem a little less formal to me. But still, I had only brought a cute red pencil skirt and flowy black top with matching flip flops to change into. I felt a little under prepared.

  "Ready?" Alex asked eagerly as I came out of the back room at the end of my shift, shaking my wild curls out of my ponytail and letting the hair splay over my shoulders freely. He was standing in the doorway, holding out a hand to me. I felt myself grin like an idiot as I took it.

  "Let's go."

  IV.

  "I can't believe I'm on a date with a billionaire."

  Alex chuckled as he stood beside me, arms crossed over his chest and what felt like his gaze lingering on me. I was far too preoccupied to check and see if my gut was telling the truth; the wall-sized picture window before me gave me an entire view of the lower half of Los Angeles, all the way down to the edge of the ocean. It was possibly the greatest view I had ever seen, even better than the ones in all the travel magazines I had read throughout my high school years. "Well, millionaire actually. I didn't invent Microsoft, you know."

  On the limo ride (I sighed merrily inside at the thought), Alex had explained that he worked in the stock market in New York with his father as a young adult, and after saving for a few years he turned to his real passion: customizing homes. He'd revamped homes in the Valley for some has-been socialites and actresses, and now he'd turned it into a world-wide venture as a project manager with a small personal staff. He explained to me that he would be flying out to London next week to go over blueprints with some big investment banker guy, and that he was really excited about it because he had a new carpenter on his hand-picked staff that he hadn't had the opportunity to work with yet. His eyes sparkled, like sunlight reflecting on the ocean, when he told me about it.

  "Right, of course. My bad for just assuming." I replied, still staring out at the view and all the palm trees swaying beneath me. "I just can't believe this. It's so surreal."

  "Welcome to LA. It's all surreal out here, kiddo."

  I turned my head towards him, a smile creeping up on my lips. He was looking at he with a smirk, like he was laughing at my disbelief. His eyes met mine, and I shied away, feeling as if I would fall into them completely if I looked any deeper. "Well," he said, obviously his favorite segway, "Let's get going to dinner before Senator Greyleck arrives home."

  I felt my eyebrows shoot up into my skull. "This isn't your place?" I laughed out my words, and Alex put his arm around my waist as he led me to the door. As we walked past the solid oak end table by the door, I glanced down and saw Alex's face on a business car tucked beneath a glass bowl of almonds. Of course.

  "Nah, the view is much better here than my place."

  "So, you're what, twenty?" Alex twirled his fork around his fettuccine and eyed me as I did the same across the small table. I nodded as I took a bite, not wanting to look like a total goober and speak while I was eating. I was a sophisticated adult, at least for tonight. My phone kept vibrating in the pocket of my skirt, and I knew it was Calder still trying to check up on me. I had texted him when we were leaving Agacelli's jokingly letting him know that if they didn't find my body to check the trunk of a limo, and now I was beginning to think that maybe he hadn't found it quite as funny as I had.

  "Well, not to seem like a dirty old man or anything, but I'm old enough to be your dad if I had knocked someone up in high school." Alex said with a quirk of his brow, and I swallowed my food as I smiled.

  "Oh no, how old?" I asked lightly.

  "Thirty-four." Alex almost winced when he spoke the words, like it was something that tasted awful in his mouth. I just nodded at him; The age difference didn't phase me as much as it probably should have. My mother had married a man twelve years her senior, her twenty-three at the time, and they had a pretty decent marriage, as much as I could have remembered in my toddlerhood. Alex took a bite off his fork, waiting for my reaction. My hip continued to vibrate endlessly.

  "That's not horrible. You look younger than that, if it's any consolation." I offered up a little smile, feeling my body grow warm as the compliment left my lips. Alex smirked, the corner of his lips pulling up on the cheek opposite of his scar, much like he had smiled all evening.

  "Well, thanks. I try." He caught the glance of our waiter and waved a few fingers, and the scrawny blonde kid nodded his head and rushed off to get our bill. I scooted my now empty plate aside, and Alex pulled a brown leather wallet from his back pocket. "So, Winnie, is there absolutely anything else you'd like to do tonight before I take you home?"

  I felt a knot tie up in my lower stomach, uncomfortably resting on me and making my thigh give a small inward twitch. I knew what else I wanted to do, but I didn't want to seem like that kind of girl. The type who wanted to bag the rich guy as soon as possible, like I needed a sugar daddy. I wasn't like that, and I knew that. I also knew that Alex's charm was getting to me a lot quicker than I had expected it would, and how curious I was to know what his body looked like underneath that Armani suit after I had felt the strength of his lean arm around me earlier. Irritatingly, my phone kept vibrating, leaving a warm spot on my hip where my phone was heating up from the continued texts and calls. "Um... my phone is vibrating. Excuse me for a minute."

  I looked down at the screen as I rose from my seat, sighed irritation as I saw Calder's name and picture. "What?" I snapped into my receiver once out of Alex's earshot, heading towards the ladies room.

  "What the fuck is your problem, Win? I've been calling you for a fucking hour! I was about to call the cops!" I hadn't heard Calder sound so angry in a long time, not since he and his father had their last big argument. He had left after that, calling a cab in the middle of the night and emptying his closet into a duffel bag before leaving. He'd never talked to me like that before. I really didn't like it.

  "And tell them what? My ex step sister isn't answering her phone while she's on a date, go get her?" I leaned up against the wall behind the bathroom vanity, the brown sugar c
olored walls making my skin look decently tan and my dark roots strand out more than I hoped they were. This only added to my irritation. "You know I was joking with that text earlier, right?"

  I heard him sigh. "Yeah, I know. But you said you'd call me. I know what guys are like out here."

  I rolled my eyes, my other phoneless hand pawing self-consciously at my roots. "Sorry I got preoccupied enjoying myself."

  "Come on now, you're making me feel like a dick." I could hear Anna's voice in the background but couldn't quite make out what she was saying. Her voice sounded happy enough, though. I ran my hand through my voluminous curls, thoroughly disappointed at the prospect of having to attempt to dye it all again.

  "It’s fine, Calder. I'll be over to Anna's in a little bit, okay?" I started to exit the restroom, spotting Alex still sitting at the table waiting for me. He was glancing down at the watch on his wrist and drumming his long, slender fingers on the table top.

  "Okay, Win. I'll see you then." The phone clicked, and I glanced at the screen to realize that he'd ended the call before even saying goodbye. He was taking his big brother role a little bit too seriously, I had decided, but I put Calder out of my brain once I saw Alex smiling towards me as he rose from his seat.

  "Decide where you wanna go next?" He asked, offering me his hand as any true gentleman would. I slid my own long hand into his own, feeling the rough skin of his palm against my fingertips. I shrugged my shoulders; I really had no other expectations, other than a fantastic goodnight kiss. He'd already been such a wonderful date, gone way over the top than I would have expected. Obviously, despite my body's unwavering protests, anything further would have to wait.

  "No, I think I should be heading home actually. My brother's having a conniption. It's past my curfew." I tried to joke off my irritation, but I still felt it clinging to me as Alex put his arm around my waist and led me out of the restaurant.

  "Ah, he's still operating under the impression that I'm a serial waitress murderer?"

  That made me laugh. We stood on the sidewalk outside of the front doors, Alex leaning against the wall and lighting a cigarette as I stood in front of him. It was his third one in the couple hours we'd been together. I rested my hands on my hips as he puffed out a small stream of smoke. "More like operating under the impression that he needs to make up for how shitty he was to me when we were in high school."

  He nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sure there's some long, angst ridden explanation behind that rather loaded statement?"

  "Naturally," I replied, unconsciously stepping closer to him. He noticed before I did, dropping his cigarette to his feet and stepping it out after only two drags on it. He reached for my hand and pulled me another step closer to him, keeping my hand firmly in his grasp.

  "Is it incredibly arrogant of me to assume I can still request a kiss after you just watched me light up a cancer stick?"

  Definitely not, I inwardly decided. Without hesitation, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. They were thin but decidedly full, and soft. Just right, and perfectly contrasting with my own natural pout. I hadn't been kissed in years and it was a much missed sensation. I felt my own fingertips brush against his prominent squared jawline, grazing the short amount of sandy blonde stubble on his chin, and his arms wrapped around my lower back. It felt like fireworks shooting off inside of my body, something I couldn't remember ever feeling before with the boys I'd kissed in junior high and high school.

  After what felt like only a short moment, Alex pulled away from me. My chest heaved bitterly; I hadn't wanted it to end so quickly. It was like a reawakening in me, bringing to life feeling I had pt on the backburner for so long in favor of escaping home and starting anew. I looked at him and saw a satisfied grin on his face. Maybe he had felt the same way, too.

  "Well, I guess that was a good answer." I watched him rub his lips together, and my face got hot. His arms were still around me and our noses were near touching, his head titled downward to accommodate my height. My jawline itched a little from where his stubble had rubbed against me, but I thought it might seem off putting if I scratched it with our faces so close together. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and Alex cleared his throat a little. "So, are you really sure you want to go home yet?"

  "I..."

  V.

  I wasn't completely sure how it had happened, how I had completely surrendered my common sense so easily and drowned in Alex's oceanic gaze. I felt my entire body tighten and ache when his arms rested around me, an exhausting feeling of unfulfillment coursing through me. It had been so long since I had genuinely wanted someone, wanted them for myself and not just want them because they took the effort to try and get me. Was it stupid? Of course; any decisions made below the beltline always were, in my experience. I'd made just as many mistakes as any other bored high school girl, but part of me rationalized that this was something I was doing for myself. I wasn't just going along because Alex wanted me in that moment: I was doing it because I actually wanted him, and damn if I didn't deserve to get something I wanted.

  The limo door had barely been shut all the way before we were on each other, his long nimble fingers sliding up the tight space between the fabric of my skirt and my warm thighs, gripping the skin and massaging it beneath his fingertips. A surge of heat passed through my lower half as he hiked my skirt up so I could straddle him comfortably. The limo started moving, the driver hidden to us behind the black tinted window, but he was the least of our concerns.

  His hands moved up my sides and beneath my modest breasts, kneading his fingers against them through the fabric of my shirt and bra as his lips ferociously returned to mine. A small noise escaped me into his own mouth, and I began to feel him harden through his pants against my black boy short panties, my favorite lace trimmed pair. My hand slid down his chest to the front of his pants, fingertips teasingly rubbing against his growing manhood. He let out a small gasp against my mouth, like he hadn't been touched in as long as I had. His lips ceased attacking mine for a moment. "I've been hoping for this since I first saw you. A beautiful woman like you..."

  But I had spent enough time talking, and before he could finish his thought I was pressing my lips to his again and opening his mouth with my own hurriedly, like my supply of oxygen was coming through him. I could feel my heartbeat pulsating through my entire body. I couldn't take it anymore. I began tugging at his zipper, lost in my own frenzy that I actually pushed his helping hand away so I could do it myself. He chuckled against my mouth. "Nice to see a woman with initiative."

  "Oh, just shut up and fuck me."

  "Oh my God, are you guys gonna go out again?" Anna sat down on the floor of her apartment, back against the foot of her couch as she handed me a wine cooler as I sat on my knees across from her. She was beaming like I had just told her a fairy tale, which actually, I supposed it really did sound like one. Especially since I left out the part about the frantic limo sex that had lasted long after Alex's driver pulled up along the curb in front of my apartment complex. It was kind of freeing to be so reckless, to just do something because I wanted to. I had a moment of panic where I thought that perhaps his driver, an older gentleman with greying hair, would open the door in the midst of me riding Alex as if my life and sanity depended on it, but Alex had assured me that Cliff would wait for his signal that we were ready to leave the vehicle. I figured I would just tell Anna what had happened later on, when it was just the two of us. When Calder wasn't eyeing me suspiciously from the kitchen where he was pouring himself a rum and Coke. Apparently Anna's tequila distraction plan hadn't worked as well as she had anticipated.

  "Yeah, he's taking me out on Saturday. He said it's just going to be a little get-together so I have a heads up on how to dress this time." I blushed. Calder came and sat down next to Anna, running a hand over his ever-growing black hair. She rested her head against his shoulder, chocolate colored waves falling along his arm. They seemed to be getting to be closer than just being a date for his boss's birthday party
this weekend, like perhaps a relationship might even blossom. They were kind of a perfect pairing, in my opinion.

  "So you gonna bring him around for us to get to meet him, too?" Calder finally piped up, wearing an expression that reminded me so much of his father. Dan used to make that same face at me when he would catch me coming home from a party at three in the morning when he sat up and waited for me long after my mother had passed out. It wasn't a look I particularly liked; it was very accusatory almost, a silent 'Don't lie to me, young lady' message. I had to refrain myself from squirming with discomfort.

  "Yeah, once we go out a few more times. I don't need you scaring him off, ya know." I quirked a brow at Calder, trying to dissuade his suspicion as I took a small sip from y drink. "And what about you two, huh? What's all this cuddly, lovey dovey stuff?" Calder looked down at Anna, who beamed like she had just won a game show and scooted half an inch closer to him.

  "Just gettin' to know each other, Win."

  Friday and Saturday morning seemed to drag on for an eternity. I performed a little less than stellar at work, my head in the clouds with all of my curiosities of what would happen on my second date with Alex. I hoped we would have sex again, my whole body tingling with anticipation at the thought. It had been so incredible, such a real, raw experience. I finally felt like a woman, in control of my own desires and how and where I wanted them taken care of.

  When I got home from the diner on Friday, he called me just as I was walking in the door to ask how my shift had gone, that he would've come in to see him if he hadn't been in a meeting for the morning and buried in blueprints for the afternoon. It was sweet , I thought, especially because he was genuinely interested in my day. Not what I was wearing, or if I'd talk to dirty to him while we were both alone; just asked about my day and if I was excited to see him the following day.

  I spent all of Saturday morning trying to find the right outfit and right hairstyle, eventually settling on a pair of solid black leggings and a blush pink peasant style shirt that fully covered to below my buttocks. The neckline was tasteful; yet still low enough that a little bit of cleavage from my average sized breasts were visible. I threw on a few black glittery bangles on my right wrist, perfectly visible from the three-quarter inch sleeves, and pair of chunky black heels. My hair was wild as ever, so I thought it best to just throw it up in a ponytail to keep in out of my face. I was pretty pleased with my outfit, though I had no second opinion because Calder and Anna had gone out for dinner before his employer's birthday party. I wondered ironically if there would be strippers there.